A DEFENDANT was reduced to tears as he gave evidence at his trial this morning (Wednesday) about the accident which killed his girlfriend and friend.

Aaron Simpson, 19, of King’s Road, Oakham, is denying two charges of causing death by careless driving at Leicester Crown Court.

Simpson was driving a blue Ford Fiesta when the crash happened on the A6003 near the Sounding Bridge in Manton at 5.35pm on August 25, 2010. His girlfriend Kelly Bulmer, 17, and James Adamson, 23, died instantly in the incident, which also involved a white Ford Transit van,

In court this morning, Simpson was asked by Stuart Lody, defending, how he felt about the crash.

Simpson was reduced to tears as he answered: “I felt awful. I can’t put it into words.”

When asked about Kelly, Simpson told the court: “As far as I was concerned she was the one.” Kevin Barry, prosecuting, asked Simpson whether he thought of himself at the time as an inexperienced driver.

Simpson said experience was a matter of opinion.

Simpson had passed his test in April 2010 and had also completed a Pass Plus course, which taught him how to drive on motorways, country roads, in town and in different weather conditions.

Det Con Robert Lapworth said in his evidence, that when Simpson was interviewed a month after the accident he said he regularly drove on the road where the crash happened.

Simpson had stated that he drove carefully there because it was next to a cycle path and there were sometimes birdwatchers on the bridge which could be distracting.

Mr Barry asked Simpson whether he had ever been distracted by birdwatchers on the bridge. He said he hadn’t.

Mr Barry added: “There was something unexplained by the side of the road that night. A BMW was in the ditch. Being inexperienced, may you have caused the collision as a result of looking back and panicking?” Simpson replied: “I don’t know. I can’t remember the accident. It may well have done but I can’t remember if I even saw it.”

Simpson said the last thing he remembered on the day of the accident was going to work as a gas engineer for Kevin O’Brien. After work he got changed for football and picked Kelly up from home. He then met with other members of Rutland Rangers in Long Row, Oakham, and James Adamson asked him for a lift to the football match in Uppingham.

Simpson followed James to his house, where James left his car.

The next thing Simpson said he remembered was waking up two days later in hospital.

He sustained head injuries in the crash and has since fully recovered.